Grow A Great Native Border!
Spectacular Plants For a Sunny Summer Bed
Attractive to butterflies, providing shelter and food for several different types of wildlife, and useful for cut flowers, this is a great combination for a sunny space. It is intended for an area about 12’ wide by 8’ front to back but by varying the number of individual plants, it can be expanded to fill a larger bed with dramatic masses of color and texture, or combined with other perennials to make a more varied garden.
BACK ROW:
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium) is a dramatic back-of-the-border staple. There are several species, but Common Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium fistulosum and Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium maculatum, often grow to 6’ tall and Sweet Scented Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium purpureum, can reach 10 - 12’ by bloom time. The dusty rose flowers are most showy in late summer, but the dried seed heads look appealing in fall and winter as well. The somewhat coarse whorled foliage is also strong in the garden. The burgundy-brown leaves of Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate‘ are effective over most of the growing season, and would echo the colors of the foreground plant, Heuchera ‘Silver Lode’. 4 to 5 plants will fill in the back of the border nicely.
MIDDLE ROW:
New England Aster, Aster novae-angliae, is a common meadow species throughout the northeast. It can be found in colors ranging from lilac and magenta through pale pink to white. One of the most popular varieties, Alma Potschke, is a long-blooming variety with vivid pink flowers. New England Aster blooms in fall, when it reaches 4-5’ in height. Any of the available colors would work well with the other species in this garden. It makes a good cut flower, and helps extend the bloom season of this garden into October or later. Its slender green leaves are a good complement to the flowers. 3 plants are sufficient, as they will fill out very quickly.
Wild Indigo, Baptisia australis, has spikes of blue violet flowers in early June. Over the summer these develop into inflated pods that are pale green at first and finally charcoal gray. Flowers and pods can be very useful in arrangements. The blue green foliage is attractive as well. 3 Indigos will balance the Asters. Since both species are similar in height, these two species can be planted side by side.
ALMOST FRONT ROW:
Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, blooms much of the summer. The flower color is usually a rosy violet, although white petalled ones have been available for a long time too. Modern hybrids can be found in oranges and yellows, but the traditional colors are more appropriate for this garden. Double flowers or variegated foliage, also characteristic of some new varieties, could be a plus here. These are also great plants for casual bouquets or more formal arrangements. The bold deep green foliage provides a texture contrast to the more delicate Aster and Indigo. 6 Coneflowers will provide some blossoms the first season, but will gradually fill out to hide the lower portions of the Aster and Indigo stems.
FRONT ROW:
Silver Lode Alum Root, Heuchera ‘Silver Lode’, is here at least as much for its colorful foliage as for its delicate flowers. In the foreground of the garden, the deep burgundy leaves with silver markings are low to the ground, and most of the year the plant is no more than 6” tall. A few times in the summer, usually mid-June and again in July, the slender dark red stems with white flowers stretch up to 2 1/2’ tall. Stems and flowers work especially well in contrast to the Coneflower. If cut for a bouquet, these perform the role of Baby’s Breath in a more traditional arrangement, as an airy filler between a few bigger blossoms. Since this will not spread as quickly as the other species in the garden, 7-10 plants would be needed to give sufficient immediate impact.
This combination of plants provides contrast in form, and subtle color variations that harmonize well with each other. This garden is best for a site that has average moisture, although all but the Joe Pye Weed can tolerate drought once established. It is suitable in zone 5,6, or 7 in soil that is somewhat acidic. Adding organic material to the soil is always helpful, but these plants will perform well with minimal fussing.
